FEATURED ARTICLES ABOUT ROGER JOHNSON - PAGE 2

After nearly three hours of deliberations, a DuPage County jury delivered a guilty verdict late Tuesday in the murder trial of a resident of a Downers Grove motel accused of killing a neighbor after the two men spent the day drinking together. David Bourke, 41, an unemployed truck driver who lived at the Somerset Motel, 306 E. Ogden Ave., admitted to police that he shot Roger Johnson but said he acted in self-defense. Bourke said he was drunk on the evening of April 16, 1998, and was alone in his motel room when Johnson, an unemployed warehouse worker, tried to enter his room.

Ruth Salzman Adams, 81, outspoken editor of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists; Feb. 25, in La Jolla, Calif., of lung cancer. Peter Benenson, 83, founder of Amnesty International; Feb. 25, in Oxford, England, of pneumonia. Chris Curtis, 63, drummer with the 1960s British band the Searchers; Feb. 28, in Liverpool, England, after a long illness. Martin Denny, 93, musician whose genre of pop music enjoyed a renewed popularity with lounge music and Tiki culture; March 2, in Honolulu.

A Monee police officer patrolling near a Speedway gas station about 3 a.m. Thursday saw two young men in a brand-new Buick and got suspicious. His instincts were right. Just 30 minutes earlier, police had issued a radio bulletin about the Buick, which belonged to a Skokie optometrist found bludgeoned to death Wednesday afternoon in a drainage ditch in Pleasant Prairie, Wis. The two teenagers--a 13-year-old and a youth who police say is 15 or 16--were being held Thursday night at a Wisconsin juvenile facility.

One day after a 9-year-old Gary boy fell to his death from a carnival ride in northwest Indiana, his family was hoping for answers. "Mentally and spiritually, it's such a shock. It's like a thousand volts going through you all at once," said Paul Van Curen, stepfather of Dakota Stevenson, who died Friday after plummeting about 35 feet from a twirling amusement park ride in Highland, Ind. "Maybe God can get some good out of this." Dakota was spending the evening with his grandmother, older sister and other family members at Highland's 4th of July weekend carnival, which features rides, game booths, vendors and live entertainment.

Michigan State receiver Charles Rogers and Miami receiver Andre Johnson have "the least holes" in their resumes, said Bears college scouting director Greg Gabriel. The pair make it a good year for receivers, and there are an unusual number of good big receivers. Both are 6-2. Johnson is thick at 230 and Rogers a bit thin at 200, but both were sprint champions. Rogers expects to go to Detroit with the second pick, Johnson to Houston at No. 3 as the Lions and Texans find targets for quarterbacks they drafted last year.

Roger M. Johnson, 69, of Montgomery died Sunday in his home after a battle with lung cancer. Mr. Johnson, who was born in Yorkville, graduated from Newark High School in 1946. Known for his upholstering skills, Mr. Johnson worked for Burlington Northern Railroad Co. for many years before opening his own shop. According to his son, Kevin, Mr. Johnson's reputation for quality work brought in a steady stream of loyal customers, who kept his small business thriving. "He believed in doing business the old-fashioned way, sealing contracts with only a handshake," said his son. "He enjoyed his work right up until the time of his death."

Roger W. Johnson, of Calumet City, IL, died peacefully in Munster Community Hospital in Munster, IN, on March 14, 2008, after a brief illness. He was born in Belvidere, IL, on Jan. 18, 1937, and lived in the Chicago area most of his life, being employed by Shell Oil Company until retirement. He was predeceased by his parents, Carl and Evelyn Johnson; and is survived by his sister, Joyce Talman of Guilford, CT; nieces, Leslie Talman and Cheryl Kemp; and nephew, Larry Talman all of Connecticut; and two distant cousins.

Roger W. Johnson's concern for others was evident throughout a 30-year career with Alexian Brothers. The president and CEO of Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village "had the ability to relate to anyone in any position," said Deborah Klett, his executive assistant. Mr. Johnson, 61, died of a heart attack Monday, March 5, while driving to work from his home in Batavia. Brother Thomas Keusenkothen, CEO of Alexian Brothers Health System, said in a statement: "Roger worked tirelessly to advance the brothers' mission to serve the health-care needs of the community with a constant striving for the highest quality care and an abiding regard for the individual."